i Googled "nice places to live in Calgary..."
I got this in my search...(these are not my words)
There are a few different things to consider when deciding on where to
live in Calgary: cost (including buying versus renting), where you are
working or attending school, social needs, and personal likes/desires.
Calgary is basically separated into four quadrants: NW, NE, SE, and SW.
Broken down into the four quadrants, here are the pro's and cons of each:
NW - Very desirable area, good schools, close to university and
technical college, excellent proximity to mountains (which results in
excellent mountain views from most of the communities in this quadrant),
hilly (as opposed to flat), very good access to downtown (corporate
sector), good access to LRT (Calgary's public transit train system),
fairly expensive homes (approx $450K to $700K for an average home). Some
of the most desirable family communities in the NE are Tuscany, Royal
Oak, Arbour Lake, Citadel, Rocky Ridge, Edgemont, Hamptons.
NE - Lots of ethnic shops, schools, churches (the vast majority of
Calgary's muslim community resides in the NE), highest crime rate in
Calgary, good access to downtown and LRT, not very close to post
secondary institutions, flat as opposed to hilly, least expensive area
for homes (approx. $250K to $400K for an average home), good access to
the airport (which can also mean increased noise). A fair bit of
industrial businesses call the NE home. Some of the "least desirable"
areas in the NE are Martindale, Taradale, Falconridge, Pineridge,
Marlborough. Some of the better NE communities would include Panaroma
Hills, Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills and Evanston.
SE - This one's tricky... the further South you go in SE, the nicer the
areas tend to be, like Douglasdale, Lake Chapparal, New Brighton, Lake
Bonavista and Parkland (all of which have homes in the $500K to 900K
range) but all of which also have some serious commuting issues to
getting downtown. The shopping and schools are good there, but there's
limited access to post secondary. The further East you go in SE, the
scarier the neighborhoods get - Dover, Forest-lawn, Forest Heights and Pembroke should be avoided if at all possible - though these areas are
the cheapest (houses range from $180K to about $250K) that comes with a
multitude of problems that just aren't worth it if you can avoid that
area. Additionally, the bulk of Calgary's industrial sector is in the
SE.
SW - Desirable area, with good access to both downtown and the mountains
(and the promise of a new LRT route being built in the next few years
to that area, improving the access to downtown even more), good shopping
and schools, good access to Mount Royal College, some issues with
Native Tribes concerning a future "ring road" planning to be built
through native lands, some flat and some hilly areas, fairly expensive
housing (approx $450K to $800K for an average home. Some of the most
desirable (And expensive - $800k plus!!) communities in the SW include Lincoln Park, Palliser, Pumphill, Strathcona, St Andrews Heights and
Tanglewood. Some of the more modest communities in the SW include
Cedarbrae, Woodbine, Shawnessy and Sundance.
Rent in each of these areas will vary, of course, but on average, you
can expect to pay anywhere from $1000/mth to $1800/mth for an average 2
or 3 bedroom condo, not including any utilities, and considerably more
if you're thinking of renting a house. If you're looking for ultra
cheap, then you might be better off renting a room in someone's home
(approx $400 - $500/month), or perhaps a shared accommodation setting
(around $500 - $800/month).
